What to see in Romania

Bucovina

A historical region of Romania, Bucovina represents rural Romania at its most captivating. Situated in the northeast of the country, Bucovina roughly corresponds to the modern-day territory of Suceava County. Tiny mountainside villages, painted monasteries, wildflowers, rolling hills and a rich folkloric heritage means that Bucovina rivals Transylvania in terms of cultural importance.

Visiting Bucovina gives you the chance to completely disconnect from the stresses of modern life, offering a peaceful retreat into Romanian folk culture and the immaculate landscapes of mountains, beech forests and farmlands.Bucovina is well-known for its folk arts and religious heritage. Take the brightly coloured monasteries of Voronet and Zamca for example, or the traditional painted eggs, still hand-crafted today and one of the best souvenirs to remember your trip to Bucovina by.

As well as traditional folklore, if you travel to Bucovina you’ll encounter a mix of cultural influences, including Ukrainian, Russian and Polish communities. A trip to Bucovina is the chance to experience all the traditional charms of the Romania of your imagination: horseriding villagers, wooden houses, traditional dress and artisan folk crafts.

Things to see in Bucovina

If you take a tour of Bucovina, you’ll want to see the famous painted churches and monasteries that have helped to propel this historic region onto the bucket lists of all intrepid travellers. These one-of-a-kind religious sites are a must-see and a highlight of any Bucovina trip. Dating from the 15th and 16th-century, the Eight Painted Churches of Bucovina are a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, found within the villages of Voronet, Humor, Sucevita, Moldovita, Arbore, Probota and Patrauti and surrounded by fortified walls.

Each of the painted churches has a dominant colour. For example, Voronet Monastery, founded in 1487, is the most famous of the eight and known for its bright blue facade. Like all of the painted churches, the walls of Voronet Monastery is adorned with ornate frescoes depicting several religious themes. Nicknamed the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’, if you only visit one of the painted churches on a trip to Bucovina, make sure it’s Voronet Monastery! Other painted churches to visit in Bucovina include the Church of the Resurrection in Sucevita, and the Church of the Holy Cross in Patrauti, the oldest of all the painted churches. The best things to see in Bucovina, the prominence of these historic buildings pay testament to the importance of the church in medieval Romania.

If you travel to Bucovina, you’ll likely base your exploration in Suceava, the best starting point for a tour of the painted churches and idyllic villages of the region. Once the capital of the region of Moldova, here you can visit the restored Moldova Fortress, dating from the 14th-century, explore the historic Monastery of St. John the New and learn more about the region at the Bucovina History Museum, one of the best things to do in Bucovina if you want to understand more about the local history.

Once you’ve visited the enchanting painted churches and explored the traditional villages, why not get out and discover the immense natural beauty of Bucovina in the regions national parks. Bucovina is home to two national parks: Calimani National Park and Rodnei National Park. Here you can get lost amongst the wilderness of northern Romania and hike past glacial lakes and the soaring Carpathian Mountains, covered in emerald beech trees.